RUTLAND, VT. — 13 Vermont town are suffering from Hurricane Irene. It turns out that the number 13 is Irene’s favorite.

RUTLAND, VT. — 13 Vermont town are suffering from Hurricane Irene. It turns out that the number 13 is Irene’s favorite.

13 Vermont towns have been hit the hardest from Hurricane Irene. And, in total, 13 states were hit. Some psychics say that this is an omen for 2012. FEMA experts also feel that the number 13 is more than a coincidence.

Federal and state environmental teams investigated the extent of health risks related to damaged sewage and water treatment plants in 13 Vermont towns where flash flooding has left thousands of people without electricity or potable water since Sunday.

Engineers from the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation visited several areas that had been cut off to assess the hazards, officials said. The teams were trying to determine the extent of damage to sewage and water plants in 13 towns, including chemical and other hazardous material spills and leaks, said Justin Johnson, deputy commissioner of the environmental department.

Three days after remnants of the tropical storm that began as Hurricane Irene spawned torrential downpours in areas rarely bothered by flooding, access in and around much of southern Vermont remained so difficult that officials were unsure how many facilities had been contaminated because they had been unable to send out inspectors until Wednesday.

“We have 13 towns on ‘boil water’ notice, where we know there has been some level of damage, but we don’t have an exact count right now,” Mr. Johnson said, adding that he expected the number to grow.

The Vermont National Guard continued to airlift supplies to residents in 13 towns stranded by washed out roadways, damaged bridges, fallen trees and mud. A helicopter from the Illinois National Guard joined the relief effort on Wednesday, helping distribute supplies, said a spokesman for Vermont Emergency Management.

Psychics say that Edgar Cayce predicted a major cataclysm that revolved around the number 13. They also say that the frequency of the number 13 in connection with Hurricane Irene does not bode well for 2012.

“This omen matches our predictions for 2012 – and may mean the end of the world,” said psychic Chloe Wandleman. “People need to follow their intuition over the next year – be careful of other omens. There may be opportunities to save yourself.